The story behind Richards Serra’s ‘Waxing Arcs’

Two gigantic arcs of steel in an otherwise empty space. When walking through the giant exhibition room of Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, I am not sure what to expect. Being unfamiliar with the history behind the arcs, I let the sight of the huge arcs come over me. Then, suddenly, footsteps appear on the floorground. I follow them, not quite knowing where they might take me, and suddenly they stop.

Before me, a clock is projected, counting down the last seconds before a multimedial presentation finallly starts. During the presentation, I get the full story of Richard Serra’s Waxing Arcs and its relationship to the museum. I learn that the museum’s architecture has changed several times, including the gallery where the work of art was originally installed. This is not only told to me by the ‘voice’, but also shown in several animations that appear on the floor and walls. Additionally, the work of art itself has not remained untouched either: it has been replaced by a new version with different dimensions. The second version is over a meter higher and half a centimeter thicker than the original work.

With their multimedia presentation, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen really got me, gave me a rich experience that lets me really understand the artwork and its history.